Testing the Waters
by Leonahari
Summary: Sequel to Fragile. Envy knew family life would be difficult to adjust to, but when his children are kidnapped, he returns to his old violent habits to get them back. Envy/Winry. Based off Manga/Brotherhood.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

In early folklore, a being in the shape of a man appeared under a scientist's microscope. Curious, the scientist fed the man droplets of blood until he grew into a fully formed fetus, and began to crave the warmth of a woman's womb. Unable to provide for this very specific need, the unnatural man slowly withered and died.

The scientist, amazed and intrigued by his revelation, began to prepare necessary arrangements to start the experiment anew. He dreamed to be the first man to create a human, birthed from science itself.

But every new attempted severely failed. No matter how hard the scientist tried, or how prepared he was to tend his creation's needs, the fetus died before it could grow larger than a fist. Defeated and out of funding, the scientist wrote a long paper on how to recreate the experiment. He called it _Homunculus_.

Just days after the paper was published, the scientist was found hanging by the neck in his summer home in Xerxes. All study on the topic of the homunculi came to a short, abrupt stop.


	2. Chapter 1: Bad Dreams

**Chapter 1: Bad Dreams**

Winry fanned herself with an oven mitt as she hovered near the stovetop. She peaked in through the glass window to see the square-shaped loaf rising. Granny Pinako had called her crazy for baking a cake in mid-June, but there was no way she was going to let her daughter turn 13 without a proper cake.

A loud bang echoed down the hallway. A fist against the dry wall.

"What do you mean you're still in Central?" Envy shouted into the phone receiver, and she knew without a doubt he was speaking to Edward. "If you think I'm going to make up an excuse for you, you're dead wrong. There's still time. Get on the next fucking train or I'll shove your excuses up your ass next time I see you."

Envy slammed the receiver down and promptly hung up.

Edward made it a habit to call every Sunday to talk to Winry. And every Sunday, Envy picked up. Sometimes Edward would actually get to talk to Winry, and sometimes he wouldn't. Winry mostly found it amusing the way the two went to great lengths to get on each other's nerves.

For the last 12 years Envy and Edward had been working closely together for Fuhrer Mustang. The first year had been a nightmare, mostly for Winry. She would get calls in the middle of the night from Edward sometimes just so he could try to talk her out of the marriage. She smiles when she remembers a particular conversation:

 _"_ _I came back to my office to find a postage parcel full of… of ladies garments and lingerie!" Edward exclaimed, horrified. "You know, the military checks our mail? The ladies in the mail room wouldn't leave me alone about it for over a month! And they've stopped bugging me now, but almost everyone who is ranked Lieutenant thinks I'm either a male prostitute or a cross-dresser…"_

When Winry asked Envy about it next time he phoned, she heard a little snicker.

 _"_ _Oh, that?" He gasped, and she could hear he was holding back laughter. "Oh, I had nothing to do with that –," Snort!_

On one of their trips back to Amestris, Winry once overheard Shou May telling Granny Pinako:

 _"_ _Well, at least Envy's getting it out of his system," she said, her newly-wedded husband Alphonse smiled apologetically at Granny Pinako, who continued to smoke her pipe in silence. "I mean, you never know, do you? One day he could snap and kill everyone! I mean, sorry… I didn't mean – oh, never mind."_

It was true people talked about their strange union behind their backs. Despite the amount of support they received in the beginning people were quick to forget the good deeds Envy had done in light of his bloodied past. Winry struggled with it from time to time, but she knew Envy didn't care.

"The only people who matter at all are my family," Envy stated once when Winry voiced her uncertainties. "You, River and Christopher are the only three who matter. The rest can go fuck themselves."

After that the topic was dropped.

"Winry?" Envy wandered into the kitchen. His appearance had changed slightly over the years from his original black outfit to a collared shirt and pants, and today he had his hair pulled back in a knot. He started opening drawers and cupboards.

"What did you lose?" Winry asked.

Envy pauses to stare at her, violet eyes shadowed in thought. "Your grandmother's pipe."

"What?"

"She lost it and she's accusing me of hiding it on her," Envy said.

"And you didn't?"

"It was just the once, and it was five years ago!" Envy said, sighing. "You Rockbell's never drop a grudge…"

Winry smiled. "Well, maybe the kids have seen it?"

Envy turned toward the open front door and peered out. One hand held up to shade his eyes, he scanned the rolling lawn down to the river. Winry thought he must have spotted them, because he suddenly bellowed, "Hey, what the –? River, cut your brother down from the tree right now or I'll hold your birthday cake hostage!"

A small girl's voice replied, "But he let me… I told him he was being stupid. It's not my fault."

Envy sighed loudly, held up his fingers and began to count down, "One… Two… Three…"

"Fine!" River snapped. Winry heard a thud and Christopher whimper. She shook her head. It wasn't the first time they had caught River being cruel to her younger brother. Winry imagined having children would be a magical and enlightening experience. But mostly it was exhausting and full of a series of events that involved crayons on walls, endless cleaning, yelling, and the occasional moment of happiness. Not that she was ever defeated. Far from it. But it definitely didn't stand up to her ideal fairy tale.

A golden-haired ball of tears bolted into the house. Christopher dash right past Envy and straight for Winry, burying his face in her legs. Winry turned, kneeled down to check him and make sure he wasn't actually hurt. She could tell fake tears from a mile away, and these were definitely fake. His face was scrunched up in a tight, red mess, blue eyes barely watering. There were no tears, just loud noises from his throat.

"Mommies boy!" River appeared in the doorway with a frown. Unlike her brother she shared her father's colouring, his dark hair and pale skin. Her blue eyes were the only thing she had that resembled Winry at all. She crossed her arms.

"River apologize to your brother," Envy said, staring down at the almost-barely-teenager.

River stared right back. "No."

Envy's eyes narrowed, just slightly.

"I didn't do anything wrong," River said, gesturing to the sobbing boy. "We were playing. He wanted to see if he could get out of the knot I tied. He only started being a baby when you came out and yelled at me."

"Stop crying now," Winry said, patting Christopher on the head. "Is this the truth?"

His lips thinned in a stubborn frown and he glanced sideways at River, brow furrowed.

"If you lie, you'll go to hell," River snapped, glaring right back at him. Envy's eyes widened on Winry in a look that pleaded, _I swear she didn't learn that from me_.

Winry frowned. "Where did you pick up that kind of language?"

River shrugged. "Oh, come on, Mom, I'm 13 now. You should hear the kids at school. Also, I've heard Dad say worse things."

Envy rounded on her, hissing, "Don't throw me under the train!"

River grinned, "But it's true…"

Envy looked up at Winry in a small plea of mercy. "I have no clue what she's talking about."

"What is all this racket!?" Granny Pinako stormed down the stairs. Envy froze, and Christopher immediately stopped crying to stare at her with wide eyes. "I try to get some shut-eye for five minutes and my pipe goes missing, and it sounds like the house is about to explode!"

"Your pipe's in the garage on the tool bench," River said.

"What the hell is it doing there?" Granny Pinako mumbled and made her way to the garage. Winry looked up at Envy and smirked: _two mysteries solved_. Granny Pinako disappeared into the garage to fetch her pipe, and River sat down on the couch in the living room and opened up one of Edward's old alchemy books he'd left behind.

"You're not going to die," Winry said to Christopher. "Stop crying now. Go outside and play."

Envy still looked shell-shocked standing in the doorway. As Christopher past him to leave the house, Envy wandered slowly over to Winry. He put his hands on the counter and stared over at her, cheeks slightly flushed.

Winry smirked at him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He shook his head slowly, and replied, "I am not prepared for teenage-hood."

* * *

Envy had never had his authority challenged except by the likes of Edward Elric, and possibly Mustang. Regardless of how many years old he was or the fact he spent the vast majority of his life being a homicidal pawn for Father, his whip-like teenage daughter floored him every single time.

River was born months before Winry and him were officially married, which came as a surprise to everyone, including them. The fact that Envy could even get Winry pregnant came as an unusual piece of news one winter morning while Winry was face-down in a porcelain throne. At first they thought she had the flu. Then her breasts began to enlarge and her hips grew three sizes. Envy remembers sitting in her bedroom as she told him she'd been to seen the doctor. He stared down at her stomach as though it held some terrifying monster.

He admits to being genuinely scared in that moment. Scared because he had no idea what to expect, the child could be inhuman or some creature that might tear Winry up from the inside; and scared because in her womb rested his entire future and he had no idea what it held.

Dr. Marcoh made a point of stopping by multiple times before the end of her term to examine Winry and even provided a due date: June 12. He determined the child would be human, but he couldn't conclude how it was even possible. He asked them time and time again, if he could observe the birth and growth of the child for research purposes. Envy flatly refused, but Winry was too curious to deny the opportunity of learning about their child's strange creation. She had the final say.

River grew and developed like any normal human child. From the moment she learned to speak, Winry and Envy shared the fact that her mother was human, and her father was not. She grew believing she was as normal as the next child. Anyone who questioned their odd decision was directly confronted by Envy, and it goes without saying by the time Christopher came along six years later no one challenged the way they raised their children.

Dr. Marcoh was delighted when he heard Winry was pregnant for a second time. Like before, he observed and examined Winry's growing stomach, heartbeat, and even introduced them to a new device called an ultrasonic machine that allowed them to see the fetus. Envy watched the white lines on the monitor convulse and move around, and though secretly that it was creepy and unnatural looking. But Dr. Marcoh was gleeful, saying the child was as healthy as can be.

The sun was beginning to sink into the horizon. The sky bled orange and pink. Envy flipped through a newspaper, while Granny Pinako watched him. He would read the headlines out to her and she would tell him which she wanted him to read out loud to her. Christopher played with a toy train that he'd built winding through the living room.

A knock at the door made River pop her head up from the couch where she sat reading. Winry dropped the knife she was using to ice the cake and crossed the room to answer the door.

"Dr. Marcoh! Great to see you," she said, "I hope the trip was comfortable."

Dr. Marcoh smiled. "Just fine, thank you. Good to see you as well."

"Grandpa Marcoh!" River jumped up from couch and ran to give him a hug.

"And there's the birthday girl," Dr. Marcoh said, handing her a wrapped gift. "I have this for you, but you have to wait and open it with the rest."

River took the gift in her hands, gingerly like it was some fragile thing. "Thanks."

"You spoil her," Winry said, smiling. Dr. Marcoh closed the door behind him and laughed.

"That's my job," he said. He noticed Envy on the couch next to Granny Pinako and nodded to him. "Looks like you're still on duty."

"It never ends. Send help." Envy replied, and received an elbow in the ribs from Granny Pinako.

"Shut it, you," she said. "Nice to see you again, Doctor. Can we get you some tea?"

"That would be great," he nodded. Winry dropped was about to begin juggling finishing the cake, dinner and boiling water for tea, but Envy shoved the newspaper at Granny Pinako.

"Read your own paper, hag," he said, and crossed the room to help in the kitchen.

"It's nice to see nothing much changes here," Dr. Marcoh said, but River snorted.

"Excuse me, but have you seen how tall I am now?" she said.

"Another year and you'll be taller than Fullmetal," Envy laughed from the kitchen.

"I heard that!"

Everyone turned to stare at the door and it swung open violently. Standing in the doorway was Edward Elric, sporting his standard red jacket, golden hair in a braid over his shoulder. Envy blanched.

"You have to talk about my height even when I'm not around?" Ed snapped, he turned to receive a hug from River ("Uncle Ed!").

Envy shrugged. "I don't have hobbies. I have children. You can't blame me for getting in kicks when I can."

The group laughed at Ed's red face as he glared across the room at Envy. Envy snickered, and walked out of the kitchen holding a cup of tea. "Peace offering, ochibi-san?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING CHIBI?"

"Settle down, you two, before someone gets thrown through the front door… again," Granny Pinako said.

Envy grinned widely and Edward took the cup of tea from him. "I'll accept a temporary truce then," he said.

"Great," Winry said, whipping her brow with the back of her hand, "because fighting can wait. I need Envy to help me serve dinner before I faint of exhaustion."

"Kids, food!" Granny Pinako yelled. Immediately, Christopher jumped to his feet and ran over to the table.

"Hungry one, isn't he?" Edward mumbled.

"I think he got a bit of Gluttony, actually," Envy snickered.

Edward considered for a moment. "That would be terrifying."

River sat next to Christopher and Dr. Marcoh. Edward helped Granny Pinako to the table and before long Envy and Winry had set the spread of food. Once they were all seated and started digging in, Envy looked across the table at his two children and thought, not for the first time, that he had no idea where they came from.

* * *

After dinner River opened her gifts. She received a silver compass from Dr. Marcoh that looked like it had been through the war. It was scratched and needed a good polishing. Dr. Marcoh said he had used it many times on his travels, and that if she were to ever go out on her own she should take it with her to find her way back home. She smiled and tucked it in her pocket for safe-keeping.

Edward brought her a book on the history of alchemy. Envy raised his eyebrow at the title: _Homunculus_. He glanced over at Edward, who grinned widely.

"Don't give me that look," Ed said. "It took every ounce of resources I had to dig up that old copy. It's probably the best rewrite that's as close to the original as possible."

"Am I going to read about you in here, Dad?" River giggled.

Envy frowned. "I sincerely hope not."

Even though River and Christopher knew what their father was, Envy and every member of their family and friends had guarded Envy's dark secrets carefully. He was grateful his bloodied past didn't resurface to enlighten his children with what he had done. Envy realized a silence lingered after his words. River didn't seem to notice, thanked Edward for the book, and turned to open the last present from her parents.

It wasn't anything overly sentimental. Winry and Granny Pinako had hunted down pieces of an old alchemy set, and Envy had found a book with harmless transmutation circles she could practice with. Despite her interest in alchemy, River never managed to make anything work. But they encouraged her interest in the subject all the same, saying that even great alchemists can't perform alchemy. _Look at Uncle Edward_ , Winry had once said to help River feel better about it.

 _"_ _But Christopher can do it," River had replied. "My six-year-old brother can do it, and I can't. There's something wrong with me. He doesn't even read all the books!"_

Winry had voiced this concern to Envy in private one evening after the kids had been put to bed, but he just brushed it off.

 _"_ _It's probably nothing," he had said. "You're overthinking it. I'm sure it's just the same as when humans can't do certain things better than their siblings. I mean, Lust was awesome at being sexy, and no matter what I turned into I just couldn't achieve the same effect. Pissed me off sometimes."_

"It's time for bed," Winry said to the children after Dr. Marcoh left for his hotel room in Resenbool. Edward opted to sleep on the couch as per usual. River and Christopher shared his old room and Granny Pinako had moved into Alphonse's room when Envy and Winry were married, giving the couple the master bedroom and the run of the house.

"Sweet dreams, you two," Edward said, messing up Christopher's golden hair. Christopher, the ever-silent, turned to take his mother's hand and they walked up the stairs to the bedroom.

River turned to Envy, who was seated across from Edward with Granny Pinako. "Do I have to, Dad? I'm 13 now. Can't I say up a little bit longer than Christopher?"

"If you force me to answer that question, you'll be starting a war between me and your mother," Envy said, "and I'll probably lose. So, yes, brat, you have to."

She grumbled, but wrapped her arms around his shoulders wearily. "Fine…"

Envy kissed her on the cheek and she dragged her feet up the stairs after Winry and Christopher.

Edward smirked. "You've sure got your hands full. No wonder you took some time off to help Winry out."

"Well, with this old hag getting older," Envy pointed at Granny Pinako, who glared at him, "Winry and I have full-time jobs."

"It's nice though, isn't it?" Edward asked. His eyes misted over in thought, and Envy could see he wished the roles were reversed, knew he'd wished that from the moment he found out Winry wanted Envy before himself.

"Yeah, sometimes," Envy said, and received a curious glance from Edward.

Before more could be said, Winry came down the stairs and said, "Envy, Christopher is asking for you."

"Okay, okay…" Envy stood up and stretched. He left to follow Winry up the stairs, and before they entered the bedroom, she whispered, "It's about the nightmares again."

Envy nodded and went into the room. The room was split down the middle, a window between the two halves, a bed on either side. River lay facing the wall in her bed, her dresser was organized and tidy. The books on the shelf were ordered by topic and author, all alchemy and myths on the homunculi. An hourglass sat on the night table, something Envy found in a market when she was ten and thought she'd like. She had flipped it recently. The sand slipped through the mouth in the top and made a neat pile in the bowl at the bottom.

Christopher's side of the room looked like a bomb had hit it. A toy horse rested on its side on the dresser, books lay open and scattered, a chess board with some of the pieces missing was halfway under his bed, and a vase of dead flowers sat on the nightstand. Winry had wanted to throw them out, but Christopher put up such a fight that she eventually gave in and let him keep them.

He was sitting up in bet cross-legged when Envy came into the room. His large blue eyes watched Envy until he sat on the edge of his bed, and said, "What's up?"

"I'm afraid to sleep," Christopher said.

"The nightmares are only dreams," Envy said, "they can't hurt you."

"But they scare me." Christopher looked down at the covers, hands twisting against his knees. Envy knows Winry does the same thing with her hands when she's nervous.

"You remember how to punch like I showed, right?" Envy asked, and Christopher nodded. "Hold out your fist."

Christopher punched Envy's bicep with his tiny fist. Envy winced, "Ah, Christopher, ouch!" He rubbed his arm, and Christopher's eyes widened. "I meant hold it out, don't punch me. OH, OUCH! There's definitely going to be a bruise there. You have to watch your strength, man. I mean, that's some serious power you've got."

River giggled into her pillow. Envy watched Christopher stare in shock at his own tiny fist. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Daddy."

"I know, all right," Envy said. "But seriously, if you get scared, just punch the person with all your strength. It even works in nightmares."

"Really?"

Envy nodded. "Uh, duh, kiddo. You have to stick up for yourself in that dream world of yours, and then after a while no monsters are going to be dumb enough to pick on you."

Christopher gave a small smile. "Okay…" He leaned forward and kissed Envy's arm where he had punched it, and said, quietly, "You'll heal fast now."

Envy grinned, and stood up. Christopher lay back and Envy threw the covers over his head and the child started to giggle. "Okay, go to sleep now. River, watch over your brother and back him up if he needs it."

"Yeah, yeah…" River smirked, rolling her eyes.

Envy left the bedroom, turned off their light, and closed the door. Winry waited in the hallway with a smile. He wrapped her up in his arms and before she could say a word, swung her legs up and lifted her.

"Envy!" she hissed, and giggled. "Stop, put me down!"

"Nope," Envy smirked and carried her to the bedroom.

* * *

"NO!"

Winry was jolted awake. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked over at Envy, who was sitting up in bed covered in cold sweat. He was panting like he'd run a marathon in his sleep.

"Envy?" Winry sat up and put a hand against his cheek. He was ice cold. Envy stared blankly forward.

"I don't remember… never mind. Just a bad dream," he said, breathlessly, but he continued to stare ahead.

Then Winry felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She looked around the room and realized Envy's shadow tendrils danced against the moonlight coming in through the window. He seemed to notice it too, because the tendrils were slowly returning to his body.

The last time she remembered seeing him use any of his homunculi abilities was years ago when he had battled for the world. Since then he had decidedly held one form and never seemed to make use of any of Pride's abilities.

Envy slowly looked over at her, and said, "Something's not right."

She could feel it too. A deep hollow feeling in the pit of her chest. Like dread but without a reason to anchor it; she didn't know where it was coming from.

She and Envy whipped off the covers and jumped out of bed. They rushed for the door and entered into the hallway, Envy ahead of her. There was a cool draft. Envy burst into the children's room and threw on the light.

Winry's eyes landed on two empty beds and an open window. She felt as though a fist closed around her chest. Envy stormed into the center of the room and looked around. Their eyes fell on the hourglass, which was lying in pieces off the side of the night stand. Glass and sand scattered across the hardwood floor like an odd jigsaw puzzle.

A whimper escaped Winry's throat. Where could they have gone? Did they go on their own or were they taken? How would she get them back? Where they safe?

Glass crunched under Envy's feet as he crossed the room. He stuck his head out the open window and peered around. He seemed to have come to some conclusion that he was not sharing with her. His body was tense. His hands gripped the window sill and Winry thought the wood might splinter.

"River!? Christopher!?" He bellowed into the night. Part of Winry hoped they were sneaking around in the yard. They had never done that before, but she desperately hoped they had. She knew in the back of her mind that was not the case.

"Please… no," Winry found the only two words that would escape her throat. "Please… no…"

Envy stood and slammed the window closed so hard the glass exploded in the frame. Winry's hands were trembling. When Envy turned to face her there was fire in his eyes she hadn't seen in 13 years. He brushed past her just as Edward came up the stairs looking confused. Envy's silence filled her with a vengeance.

"What's going on?" Edward said, but Winry pushed past him and called to Envy as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Wait," she said, her voice trembled slightly, but the coldness behind her words surprised her. Envy paused and glanced over his shoulder, a deep frown set on his face. She's not sure what drove her to say it: "If they've hurt them," she growled at Envy's back, "if they've even laid a finger on our children, I want you to make sure they pay for it – whatever it takes."

She could see a small curl of Envy's lips. He gave a small bow of his head, a delicate gesture of affirmation, and rushed out the front door.

Winry turned back to the children's room to see Edward standing in the middle of it looking back at her with wide golden eyes.

"Winry?" he breathed. "You're angry –,"

She balled her fists into her nightgown and growled, "Someone took my children!"

Edward was still staring at her, concern shadowed his golden eyes. "I understand that. But, Winry, you need to know Envy will take something like that seriously."

 _If you ask me to kill for you, I would._ These were the words Envy had once spoken to her before they had defeated Father, further back even before Winry knew she would end up loving him.

"I hope he does," Winry replied, coldly. And before Edward could say another word, Winry stormed down the stairs to stare into the darkness. Even knowing Envy's inherent nature, she didn't regret her words. Maybe she would one day, but she couldn't deny the feeling of power inside her. It felt good to let Envy know she was behind his actions, and that he would protect their family – no matter the cost.

Edward rushed past her and into the night. Winry watched him go. She knew he'd try to help bring the children back, but she also knew he was also leaving to stop Envy before he did something regrettable.

* * *

 **Leonahari: I don't live on food or sleep. I do live on reviews. Please don't let me die. :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Proven Wrong

Chapter 2: Proven Wrong

Hours after Envy and Edward left Resenbool, Winry's heart sunk as the sun rose. The dreaded feeling of regret leaked into her like oil into a mechanical arm. She stared into the dark pit of her coffee, resting her head in both hands. She had done something horrible, and now there was no way to take it back.

"How could you be so irresponsible?" Granny Pinako said from across the table. Her words cut through Winry, hard and unforgiving. There was a sternness in her eyes Winry had only ever seen on one occasion – when the Elrics committed taboo and burned their house to the ground.

Winry buried her face in her hands. "I was angry."

"Telling Envy that…" Granny Pinako said, firmly. "You might as well have derailed a passenger train."

"I just want my kids back," Winry said, tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them on the back of her arm.

"Well, you better hope Ed can catch up with Envy and keep him focused on that task," Granny Pinako said. "If Envy loses his temper, it won't be good news for anyone – regardless of who took the kids."

Winry stood up so fast the chair behind her toppled over. "Don't you dare say another word about Envy losing control!" She pointed across the table at Granny Pinako, and sobbed, "Everyone talks behind our backs about how he's going to snap one day or kill this person, kill that person – _shut up_! You've known him for twelve years and he's been nothing but kind to you. I'm sick of people talking about him like that."

Granny Pinako's mouth was hanging open. She closed it and watched as Winry picked up her jacket from the couch. "Oh, Winry… I'm sorry," she said. "Where are you going?"

"Central," Winry snapped. With that, she left and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Edward pushed his way off the train and into the crowded Central station. Steam billowed up into the rafters above his head as the engines idled waiting to take on more passengers. He glanced around for Envy, but knew it was little use; the homunculus had probably transformed into a civilian already. He had barely caught up with Envy in Resenbool before he lost him again when they got onto the train.

 _Envy had been waiting at the station when Edward approached him. The moonlight shrouded Envy's face in shadow. Only a soft glow of his violet eyes told Edward he was watching him. When Edward had reached him, Envy snapped, "I don't want to hear it – we're doing this my way."_

 _"_ _Let me help you, Envy," Edward said. "I can phone up Major Hawkeye and get some feet on the ground."_

 _"_ _No, thanks," Envy said. "I don't want to wade through red-tape to save my own damn kids. Besides, we don't even know if they're in Central. My way will make things a lot faster."_

 _"_ _Your way is going to get a lot of people killed," Edward said, finally._

 _Envy's fists balled. "Tough shit."_

A steam horn blew thick plumes of white into the air. Edward crossed the platform to get to the phone booths and dialed.

"Central Military Headquarters, operator. How may I help you?"

"I need to speak to Major Hawkeye right away," Edward said. "This is Edward Elric and it's an emergency."

"Code please."

Edward recited his military emergency code to her and waited as she transferred him. After a second or two, static buzzed on the line and Hawkeye's voice came through: "Hello, Edward, what's wrong?"

Edward smiled. It was very like Hawkeye to assume immediately the situation was dire because he had bothered connecting with her unscheduled and on an open line. "We've got a situation, Major," he said. "Winry's kids were taken from her last night. Nobody knows where they are or who they're with."

He heard Hawkeye gasp, and wondered if he was right about what she must be thinking.

"Where's Envy?" Hawkeye asked flatly. Edward leaned into the booth, shielding his face from passersby and anyone who might overhear him.

He frowned. "Yeah, that's the other problem… I can't find him either. He's probably trying to find leads –"

"Where did you last see him?"

"In Resenbool, catching a train. I think he was headed to Central, but I'm not sure," Edward explained. "But we need to focus on finding River and Christopher. If we get a lead before Envy, I'm sure things won't escalate."

"You better come to the office and let me take your statement. I have to inform the Fuhrer right away," Hawkeye said.

"Is that really necessary?" Edward said. He thought of Mustang and what he might do if he found out Envy was rampaging through Central. Mustang tolerated Envy because of what Envy had done to help them defeat Father. But the loyalty was shallow and didn't extend very far on either side. If Envy crossed a line, Mustang would act – the result would only leave one of them standing.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Hawkeye said. "I can't provide my reasoning on an open line. Come to the office and make a statement, please."

* * *

"This is urgent." Hawkeye closed the door to the Fuhrer's office. She had five minutes before his next meeting, but that would be enough time to assess and determine a plan. Mustang looked up from his desk with a smirk.

"Isn't everything?" he said.

Hawkeye saluted and said, very quickly, "Winry and Envy's children were kidnapped in the night, and Envy is off the leash, sir."

Mustang's eyes widened slightly. "He knows his place, Major, I doubt he would do anything too rash."

"It sounds like Envy left extremely upset, sir," Hawkeye said with a frown. "Given the situation… I know the office of the Fuhrer doesn't personally see to kidnappings, but –"

"The sooner it's wrapped, the less we have to provide damage control." Mustang mused. His dark eyes misted over in thought.

"There's also the matter of Envy's reassignment," Hawkeye said, carefully. "The public believe the homunculi and those involved with the coup were executed for their crimes. If Envy starts a spectacle, we may need to answer some questions."

Mustang frowned. "It'll be fine."

"Sir?"

He grinned. "I made a deal with Envy years ago – he'll remember that if he causes trouble. He still has a heavy debt to repay."

There was a knock at the door and Edward entered despite Mustang's secretary yelling at him not to go inside. Hawkeye and Mustang regarded him as he closed the door behind him, shutting out the yells of the woman at the desk outside. He pushed his blonde hair aside and frowned when he noticed them watching him.

"I trust the Major has told you about what's happened," he said to Mustang.

Mustang nodded. "Yes, but I'm not about to jump to conclusions. Right now, I'd rather focus on finding the children than worrying about what Envy's doing right now."

Edward's crossed his arms and smiled. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but that's the first sane thing you've said in a while."

Mustang grinned. "Don't start going easy on me, Fullmetal."

"I do wish Envy had come to us instead," Hawkeye said, she frowned. "If we had worked together, it might go faster."

"He seems to think the bureaucracy will slow him down, and while I agree with him, we've little choice," Edward replied. "Do you have any ideas on where we can start looking?"

"I need to ask you some questions about the scene," Hawkeye said. "It might have clues."

"I'm afraid I didn't have a lot of time to investigate their room. I was in a rush to catch up with Envy when he left…" Edward said.

Mustang stood and collected a file folder off his desk. "I have a meeting. You're welcome to use my office, but make sure we keep the gossip to a minimum. I don't want everyone thinking they can come straight to me for every kidnapping and minor crime that happens."

"Insensitive jerk," Edward mumbled as Mustang passed him and headed for the door.

"I heard that, Fullmetal." Mustang left the office and closed the door with a snap, leaving Edward and Hawkeye to hash out the details of the scene.

Edward walked through the night's events with her.

 _Yelling. Winry's voice sounded frantic upstairs. The lights in the house were off, shadows loomed against the walls, stretching out across the ceiling like spider legs. Edward pushed the covers off himself and rolled off the couch to see what the noise was about._

 _Sobbing, crying. Winry was standing at the top of the stairs looking into the children's room, and Edward felt like a fist had closed around his heart. Questions surfaced in his mind, but he pushed them down – don't ask until you know more._

 _"_ _River! Christopher!" Envy's voice boomed through the night. Broken glass crunched underfoot, a clock ticked somewhere in the kitchen. Edward reached the top of the stairs to find Envy leaning out the open window. Fragments of a sand dial lay on the hardwood. The covers on the children's beds were strewn and tangled, they twisted against the moonlight._

 _Envy rushed by him and Winry on his way to the stairs._

 _"_ _What's going on?" Edward asked, but Winry pushed past him and Envy was already on the last step. She stopped him with a word: wait. And Edward stepped into the room, watched the glass sparkle against the moonlight like diamonds on the hardwood floor. The air was cold and smelled of sulfur, of bad eggs and candle smoke. There were transmutation marks on the floor near Christopher's bed. Pieces of chalk, old books, sand from the sand dial._

 _"_ _If they've hurt them… if they lay a finger on our children, I want you to make them pay for it – whatever it takes."_

 _Panic. His heart pounds against his chest. He can remember Envy's violet eyes wide and hysterical thirteen years previously, how he lusted after violence and self-destruction. Edward rushes after Envy, out the door and across the green field, black under the stars. Winry's words echo through him like the vibrations of a gong. A rope hangs from the tree outside their house, it swings gently with the wind. A silver object flashes in the grass._

Edward's eyes open. "The compass," he gasped.

"What?" Hawkeye asked, stopping in the middle of her note-taking to look up at him. They were sitting on the couches in Mustang's office.

Edward put a fist to his forehead in frustration. "Why didn't I stop!? River got a compass for her birthday – I'm sure I saw it in the grass outside when I was leaving, but I didn't think to stop."

"I'll call the residence and see if they can find anything," Hawkeye said. "In the meantime, talk to Major Armstrong about getting sketches out on the streets. He can organize a team to go door-to-door."

The door opened and Edward and Hawkeye saw Mustang return from his meeting. He took a few steps into the room, and said, "I found our stray dog."

Shortly after him, Envy appeared in the door way. He scowled, "Don't call me a dog."

Edward couldn't deny the floor of relief he felt at seeing Envy, like a weight had been lifted from his chest. Envy's eyes landed on him and he said, "I had to check out the old homunculi lair and a few old hideouts. I couldn't do that with a military tag-along."

"You had us a bit worried, Envy," Edward said, sighing. He hated to admit it, but wanted Envy to understand he was glad he returned.

"Why?" Envy said, sitting down on the couch next to Hawkeye, "Afraid I was going to kill a bunch of people?"

Mustang hovered behind the couch Edward sat on and narrowed his dark gaze on Envy, scrutinizing him. Edward frowned, "That was a concern."

Envy shrugged. "I might have dismembered one or two people getting into the lair…"

Everyone in the room tensed. Envy's eyes went between them, slowly. Edward could feel Mustang reaching for his gloves.

Envy snorted. "That was a joke. You're all too fucking uptight."

Mustang, trying to regain a piece of his ego, said, "Your children are missing and you're cracking morbid jokes?"

Envy's smirk disappeared and his eyes grew cold and dark. He leaned forward and spat, "I've just returned from investigating three separate locations, the only leads I had to go on. At least I'm out there looking! What have you done yet? Sat around and worried about how to clean up a mess I _won't_ leave behind while I search for my kids? Some public service."

Hawkeye and Mustang exchanged glances. Edward cut in before either of them could bounce back with a retort. "Hey, Envy, you remember that compass Dr. Marcoh gave River?"

Envy looked at him and Edward could almost sense the gears changing as he jumped topics. "Yeah…" he said, uncertainly. "What about it?"

"When I left the house last night, I think I saw it in the lawn," Edward said.

Envy's eyes widened and he sat up. "River had that in her pocket when we put her to bed," he said. "Could she have dropped it on purpose?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Mustang said. "Major?"

Hawkeye sat straighter.

"Call the Rockbell residence and get them to do a search of the lawn. See if they can find this compass," he said.

"Yes, sir." Hawkeye turned to Envy, and added, "Major Armstrong will coordinate a search team. Please meet with him and go over the details."

Envy nodded and looked over at Edward. Edward thought he looked tired, worried, and a bit put out.

When he and Envy left the Fuhrer's office and entered into the hallway, Edward said, "I had to get them involved. They can help, if we let them."

Envy's frown deepened and he continued down the corridor. With his back to him, he stopped and said, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that even after the years I've spent with Winry and everyone, you humans still haven't changed. You fear what you don't understand, which explains why you were so quick to doubt me when I needed you all the most."

Edward felt his heart drop into the depths of his stomach. Envy was right, and it killed him to admit it. He hated that he was right. "Envy…"

Envy's jaw tensed. He left Edward to stare after him as he rounded a corner a disappeared.


	4. Chapter 3: Bad Cosplay

**Chapter 3: Bad Cosplay**

Winry stepped off the train in Central just as the large grandfather clock in the station struck 8pm. Military guard, or police, as they called themselves now under the new democracy were stationed near the exits, and Winry paused to show them a family photograph. River and Christopher were a year older now. River's hair was slightly longer, and Christopher had had a growth spurt, but the resemblance was the same. The guards shook their heads when she asked if they'd seen the kids, but then informed her of the search that was currently taking place.

"You can probably find Major Armstrong in the East District about this time. They've been going door to door all afternoon," the one guard told her.

Winry thanked him and rushed off in search of Major Armstrong. She suspected Edward would be with them as well, and maybe even Envy – she desperately hoped. She pushed aside the guilt left by her words the following night, and stepped onto a tramcar.

* * *

"This is a waste of time," Envy snapped, shoving the rest of the flyers with sketches of River and Christopher at Edward to take. "We've probably met half the city's residents by now. Of course the culprits aren't going to fess up to it."

"That's not the point, Envy," Edward replied, pushing the flyers back at him. "We need people to remember the kids' faces so if they see them later, they can call it in."

"It's been 19 hours since they were taken!" Envy snarled. "And this is the best idea you've got? Fuck this."

Envy turned away from the next house, and started off down the street. Edward rushed after him, yelling, "Wait a second! Envy!"

Envy turned down an ally and paused to wait for Edward to catch up. He stared at the cement under his feet, gritting his teeth in frustration. He spun sideways and threw a punch into the brick building, leaving a giant crater in the side of the wall. When he pulled his fist out of the hole, Edward stopped a few feet away from him.

"What's taking them so long?" Envy hissed. "Usually when people kidnap someone, there's some kind of reason, right? Like money or… Why haven't they contacted me yet? Why? Why take my kids? The more time we waste here the more opportunity they have to hurt them. I feel… I feel… so fucking useless."

He took a deep, slow breath in and then out. Edward took a couple steps toward him and put a hand on his shoulder, and said, "We're going to get these bastards. I promise."

"Tsk," Envy shrugged his hand off and snapped, "Ever-optimistic, aren't you? Don't make a promise you know you might not be able to keep."

Edward frowned. "Well, it's better than punching walls." As he said it, Envy's regeneration ability started piecing his bloodied fist back together. Envy glared at him over his shoulder. He turned to face him, but looked away. Edward let the breath he'd been holding go as the tension between them faded.

They were both at a loss. Edward looked down at the flyers in his hands. River and Christopher's sketched faces grinned back at him. Christopher's resemblance of Winry always pulled at his heart. Regardless of how often he tried to ignore it he knew if things had been different – if Envy hadn't of joined them in their fight against Father, if Winry hadn't of fallen in love with him – Edward might be looking down at his own son. It was a selfish thought, but a part of him never forgave himself for fighting harder for Winry.

"Look at this," Envy suddenly said. Edward pushed down the guilt in his chest and looked up to see Envy pull a poster off the ally wall. The poster was black and red with bold words that read: _Lair 7_. "It's some kind of homunculi-themed club or something."

Edward could hear the humor in Envy's voice. "Really? Well, I guess you guys were bound to make waves when the general population found out you existed at all."

Envy pointed to the poster and said, "There's an address on here – we should check it out."

Edward grinned. "You just want to have your ego stroked."

Envy smirked and replied, "I'm just being thorough. It's in a part of town we haven't searched yet, just around the corner actually."

"Fine," Edward said.

* * *

"So there hasn't been any calls yet?" Winry asked, nervously, and Major Armstrong shook his head. They stood on the side of the road near Central's market district. Everything had closed by this time. The windows were dark and stalls had been locked up.

"We've canvased this whole area, but it's still early," Major Armstrong replied. "Edward and Envy are searching the next few blocks over. We'll be meeting up with them back at headquarters in a couple hours and exchange information."

"Envy is with Ed?" Winry said, sighing. "That's good news… Is there anything I can do?"

"Have you shown many people that family photograph?" Major Armstrong asked, and Winry pulled out the photograph from her pocket and looked down at it. Envy and Winry stood behind the kids grinning widely. Envy stood with his hands on Christopher's shoulders and River's sidelong glance at her brother was eternally captured, a small frown on her face. Winry's cheeks were tinged pink as she leaned against Envy slightly.

She remembered sharply Envy snickering, because Christopher had farted and River was threatening to strangle him. Despite the smell, they couldn't move because the photographer had already started shooting.

"I've shown it to a few military members at the station and some passersby later at the market on my way here. Why?" Winry said.

"It's best if you keep that photograph private," Major Armstrong said, handing her a stack of flyers. She put the photograph back in her pocket and took the flyers from him.

"I don't understand," she said. "Is there something wrong with it?"

"Envy is in his usual form in that photograph, and the public thinks he and the other homunculi were executed after the fall of Fuhrer Bradley," Major Armstrong explained. "I'm sorry, but we don't want to raise questions."

 _My children are missing and they're worried about political backlash?_ Winry bit her tongue, but felt anger rise in her chest. She knew it wasn't Major Armstrong's fault. He was only carrying out orders and doing what he thought was best.

"I see," she said, simply. "So, I take it Envy usually works for the military disguised then?"

"Yes, definitely," Major Armstrong replied. "Headquarters is really the only place he can show his true self, but when he's in public he is required to mask the homunculi mark on his leg and change his appearance slightly to avoid people recognizing the marks on his forehead and shoulders as well."

"He never told me about this rule," Winry said, thoughtfully.

Major Armstrong smiled. "He probably just didn't want to worry you."

Winry frowned, remembering all the times she'd been left out of things for her own good. Edward and Alphonse used to keep information from her, deemed it too dangerous for her to know. She wondered if Envy thought the same way, and how many secrets he still kept from her.

"Major, what happens if someone were to recognize him?" Winry asked, curiously. She thought if someone were to call in to the military having seen a homunculus, that the military would put an end to it quickly – call it a rumor without a nugget of truth, or insist the homunculi were exterminated, maybe even produce a PR piece.

Major Armstrong looked concerned, like he didn't want to tell her what he knew. "If Envy is recognized, it could cause unrest throughout the country. People are still wary of those in power after Father's plans came to light."

Winry stared at him, waiting for more, but it seemed that was the extent of his answer. She felt annoyed. "Major, that didn't really answer my question. _What_ happens if Envy is recognized?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't say," Major Armstrong said. "Envy and the Fuhrer have an agreement. I'm not at liberty to disclose the terms of that agreement."

Winry looked away from him, frustrated. What kind of agreement? The sound of it made her feel uneasy. She knew Roy Mustang and Envy had a bloodied history, but what kind of consequence could come out of an agreement between to old enemies? And why didn't Envy disclose this information to her?

She felt a knot tighten in her throat. Major Armstrong apologized and went along to the next row of houses with the rest of the search team, leaving Winry to stare after him in thought.

* * *

Lair 7 was a dive bar at the edge of East District. When Envy and Edward entered they were choked by cigar smoke and dank mildew. Dark red wallpaper was peeling slightly, and the furniture was painted black, but was mismatched like someone had gone thrift store shopping and coated everything in black to hide the fact that it wasn't purchased together. The only music seemed to be coming through the walls, a heavy base that shook the glasses at the bar.

For a Saturday night, the place was pretty empty. An old guy snored away in a corner with a half-finished glass of amber ale. Another man sat at the bar smoking and checking out the ass of the bartender that was currently watching Edward and Envy.

"This is _not_ homunculi-themed," Envy shouted at the bartender. "Your poster's a lie."

The bartender raised a penciled eyebrow, and Edward smirked. "Hey, take it easy," he said to Envy. "Let's just ask them about the kids and then get out of here."

"How insulting…" Envy hissed under his breath.

Edward went over to the guy at the bar, and Envy approached the bartender. She had badly dyed black hair with grey roots showing through and wore a dark purple crop top. She dropped her cigarette into a glass of water when Envy reached the counter, and said, "I take it you're into the homunculi?"

Envy put the Lair 7 poster on the counter between them, and the flyers on the stool. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Yeah, there's a lot of people who dig it," she said, smirking. She leaned up against the bar. "I can see you do – those are some pretty convincing eyes."

Envy frowned and realized he had forgotten to disguise his purple eyes. "They're…"

"Contact lenses!" Edward jumped onto the stool next to Envy. "Right, Miles? You picked them up a couple weeks ago. Aren't they great? They look so real."

The bartender looked between Edward and Envy, unimpressed. "Yeah, I've seen pairs like you before."

"Pairs?" Envy deadpanned.

"Excuse me?" Edward blanched.

The bartender shrugged. "You know, people who dress up like the Fullmetal Alchemist and some bad throw-together-last-minute homunculi costume. Are you guys gonna kiss or pretend to fight to the death?"

Envy's eyes widened, but there was an irritable twitch in his left eyebrow. Edward put a fist up in front of the bartender, and shouted, "What the hell? What do you mean by that? I am the Fullmetal Alchemist! This is no costume."

"Prove it," the bartender said, and Edward produced his silver pocket watch. She didn't look convinced. "Oh look, that's a pretty convincing replica."

Edward's face turned bright red and he looked like he was going to jump over the counter at her. Envy sighed. "Let's get out of here, Ed. We're just wasting time."

"Wait," the bartender said as they turned away. "You wanted to get to Lair 7, right? I'll show you."

Edward and Envy exchanged looks, and Edward asked, "You mean this isn't Lair 7?"

The bartender laughed hoarsely. "No, you idiots. Follow me."

She led them out of the main room down a narrow hallway with a flickering light. A door stood closed at the end and she opened it for them. A set of narrow stairs led down into a dark basement. Edward and Envy paused at the top.

"Just follow this down. There's a hallway and just walk to the end and you'll get there eventually," the bartender explained.

"Eventually?" Edward asked. "How far down is this thing?"

The bartender snapped. "I don't get paid enough to answer stupid questions. Don't go if you don't want to."

She left them, and Envy started to descend the stairs ahead of Edward. It was cold and dark when they reached the bottom. There were no signs, or forms of advertisement anywhere. The concrete hall split in two directions into darkness. Edward and Envy stood, wondering which way to go first.

"This is way more convincing," Envy said, and his voice echoed off the walls. Water dropped from the ceiling, it's occasional _drip drip drip_ was the only sound they heard aside from their own breathing.

Edward squinted into the inky blackness. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this. We should turn back and return with the military."

"Absolutely not," Envy said. "Right now we're some random people dressed up as Fullmetal and a random homunculus. If we come back with the military they'll know we mean business. If there's a slight chance they have River and Christopher, I can't risk them getting news of the military coming to search for them and escaping."

"Fair enough," Edward replied. "But I can't do alchemy anymore, so if we get into a situation –"

"Just leave it to me," Envy snarled, and Edward saw the glint of red behind his eyes, an old familiar lust for blood Envy had always shared with his homunculi brethren. This in no way comforted him. And for once in the last 24 hours, as Envy picked and direction and led them into darkness, Edward hoped they would not find what they were looking for.

* * *

Leonahari: I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think of this so far. I'm definitely breaking my own rule by writing a sequel. :P


	5. Chapter 4: Lair 7

**Chapter 4:**

The cement walls of their cell were slick with moisture. There were no windows or openings except a steel door that remained firmly closed. A beam of light spanned the width of the doorway under it, breaking the darkness of the room only slightly. River sat next to Christopher on the floor. He had wedged himself into the corner, sobbing and refusing to look up from his knees.

River stared at the plate of brown mush that someone had delivered only moments ago. Her stomach ached for food, but she wouldn't dare touch what was given to her here. It could be poison, or laced with something.

She remembers something her father always used to tell her: never trust anything. Trust yourself and your logical mind. People were flawed and couldn't be relied upon.

She rubbed at a small wound on her forearm. It was itchy. She tried not to scratch it, but her hand would travel to it automatically and when she scratched, it would sting. When she tried to remember where she'd hurt herself, her memory eludes her; white lights, faces covered by surgical masks and goggles, and a chill like ice running through her veins.

Christopher shivered next to her, and she wrapped an arm around his small frame. He whimpered, and she hushed him.

"It's going to be fine," she said. "Dad's going to find us, and the people who hurt us will pay."

"They're going to take you away again," Christopher whispered. She couldn't see his face when he looked up, but knew it was tear-streaked. "Last time you were gone for hours. What if they don't bring you back and I'm left alone?"

River pushed a hand through his blond hair. "Don't think like that," she said.

Christopher touched her arm. "Does it hurt?" he asked, looking down at her wound.

River couldn't see it for the darkness, but she could feel the dried blood against her skin. It throbbed with pain, but had stopped bleeding. They had given her nothing to cover or treat it.

"It's fine," she replied, and Christopher curled into her side.

* * *

"How long is this hallway?" Edward grumbled. "I feel like we've been walking forever. Reminds me of Gluttony's stomach."

"Minus the blood at our feet," Envy sighed. "Don't remind me of that place."

Edward and Envy had followed the dark hallway for a while, and there didn't seem to be any end to it. There were no windows, no doors that led off, it was just one continuous hall.

"It just occurred to me that if I didn't know how to transmute a human, we'd still be there," Edward said, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Well, you'd be dead," Envy corrected him. "But I'd probably still be there. Although, I probably would have killed myself by then."

"Homunculi can commit suicide?" Edward asked.

Envy shrugged. "With the philosopher stone at our core, we'd just have to destroy it ourselves. It almost came to that once…"

Edward stopped, and Envy glanced over his shoulder at him. "Why are you stopping?" he asked.

"When was that?" Edward asked, and Envy turned to face him. He put a hand on his hip.

"Before, when we got swallowed by Gluttony," Envy said, frowning, "I thought I was stuck there alone forever. Lucky, I ran into you guys shortly before I made my decision."

Edward studied him, and Envy felt a pang of annoyance. "You're not going to get all soft on me now, are you? I bet if I had crushed my stone and died there, you would have rejoiced."

"Actually, your stone was the only reason we were able to escape Gluttony's stomach at all," Edward replied. "So, it's a good thing you didn't destroy it."

Envy crossed his arms. "Well, that's definitely cold of you, Fullmetal. Way to go. I see you're finally thinking logically after all these years. I guess having your emotions trampled on over and over again will do that."

Edward cocked his head at Envy. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," Envy snapped. He turned back and started walking again. Edward stared at the back of his head in thought. It was unlike Envy to hold back information. He was usually excited to relieve himself of it, regardless of how much it would cost him in the end.

A dim light brushed the walls at the end of the hallway hinting at an exit around a corner. Edward and Envy reached it and peered into the giant room before them.

"No way," Edward said. "This place is huge."

The chamber was the size of a ballroom with high ceilings and a smooth cement floor. There were pillars along the perimeter of the room and long red banners hung above them. Torches burned along the exterior walls, casting the center of the room in an ever-moving shadow.

"Did we just go back 200 years?" Envy said, staring around at the décor of the place. It was empty, but footsteps announced someone approaching them from the far side.

Edward grumbled, patting his pockets down. "Damn, I left the flyers at the bar!"

Envy doubted they'd need them. The man who approached wore a cowl and long robes. He held his hands together before his body and Envy was strongly reminded of Father Leto from Liore. Unlike Leto, however, this man bore a sense of prestige. He stood straight, shoulders back, and the Pride in Envy wanted to tear him limb from limb.

"Welcome to Lair 7," the man said, bowing. "Have you come for the ceremony?"

"Er… That's right," Edward said, and Envy raised an eyebrow at him. "But we were hoping you could tell us a bit more about this place. We've only heard rumors, and as you can see we've even dressed up for it!"

The man smiled and looked over at Envy. "Yes, I can see – very convincing costumes. However, you don't need to dress up to join us. Lair 7 is a community devoted to the homunculi, who most tragically lost their lives in the pursuit of greatness."

Envy's eyes widened and Edward blanched. "Say again?" Edward gasped.

"The seven deadly homunculi who died at the hands of Fuhrer Roy Mustang: Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Pride, Greed, Sloth, and Envy," the man explained. "We, Lair 7, are the few among humans who honor their deaths."

Edward looked over at Envy, but Envy didn't let his thoughts show on his face. He wondered what he must be thinking. The man didn't seem to notice Edward's shock, because he continued, "The homunculi were gods among men. It was a tragedy to see them fall. We have shrines devoted to each one, as well as a common room where we organize ceremonies in their honor."

"What the…" Edward was lost for words.

"It was tragic," Envy agreed. Edward looked over at him. His fists were balled and he was staring intensely at the man before them. "I would like to visit the shrine devoted to Envy. Take me there."

"Certainly," the man bowed. He turned on his heel and started to lead them across the chamber.

Edward glanced over at Envy, and hissed, "What do you think you're doing?"

Envy ignored him. Edward felt his heart drop. _This is bad_ , he thought, _a cult devoted to the homunculi? I bet Mustang would like to hear about this._

"I am called Reid," the man introduced. "I am the gate keeper here."

"I'm Edward," Edward said, hoping Reid wouldn't inquire into his full name.

"Miles," Envy said, simply.

There were several rooms that led off from the main chamber. Reid led them into one, and down a short narrow hallway that came to a dead end. At this end, another room opened up, smaller than the chamber, more intimate. The stone around them glistened against the torchlight. Two pillars stood framing the feature of the room.

A few people sat on the floor, bowed in prayer at the feet of a larger-than-life statue of…

"Envy…?" Edward gasped, looking up at the statue. Envy's mouth hung open at the image of himself in stone. The likeliness was uncanny. Edward glanced over at the real Envy, who was luckily disguised as a man with black hair pulled back in a collared shirt and jeans. He'd forgotten to turn his eyes blue, but other than that there wasn't much of a resemblance. It was the usual form Envy took when he was in public now, and Edward was used to seeing it.

The statue, however, was Envy through and through. His spiked hair, the headband around his brow, his odd outfit and fingerless gloves. The only thing that didn't fit was his expression; it was too calm. The stone face stared down at the people bowing before its feet with an expression of gratitude, something Edward had never seen Envy express even when he was at the alter with Winry.

At the memory of their wedding, Edward scowled and turned to Envy. "Let's get out of here – this is just too weird."

As Edward made for the door, Envy said, "I want to see the others."

"Seriously?" Edward said, glancing over his shoulder at him.

Envy frowned, and passed him to exit back into the main chamber. From there Edward followed him to all the shrines; Wrath's, Gluttony's, and Greed's statues were all well detailed and accurate, but Sloth's and Pride's were off slightly in their resemblance. Edward thought it was because the public hadn't seen much of them to draw on, but then it didn't explain how they knew what they looked like at all down to the finest detail.

Envy hovered the longest at Lust's shrine. There was a tension in the air Edward couldn't deny. He watched Envy stand before her curved statue looking down at the flowers and drawings and small gifts the cultists left. His violet eyes misted over with memory.

Lust and Envy had been the first homunculi Edward had met. He remembered their meeting vividly as the time they killed the soul-affixed armor of the Slicer Brothers in Laboratory 5. Edward had never given it much thought before now, but as he watched Envy stand before Lust's statue he realized she had probably been the only homunculi Envy felt close to. Her death had been something of a thorn in the side of Envy and Mustang's bitter alliance. Edward remembers Envy bringing her murder up on several occasions whenever Mustang would bring up Hughes'.

Edward shifted uncomfortably. So, the homunculi might not have been a traditional family in the human sense, but it was clear to him that Envy felt some kind of loss when looking at their shrines. Edward wondered if he should say something to comfort him.

Envy turned back to Edward and said, "All right, let's go."

"Wait," Edward said, and Envy paused next to him. "You okay?"

Envy's violet eyes were cold. "I don't need your pity, Fullmetal."

Edward reluctantly followed Envy out of the room. They exited into the main chamber again to find it full of people who were either standing or kneeling. The chamber was packed from edge to edge. Their shadows loomed across the ceiling. The torches at the far end were burning brightly near a raised stage where a few people stood with arms outstretched.

Edward was strongly reminded of Leto and Liore again. The crowd chanted eerily into the room, their voices echoing off the vaulted ceiling. He and Envy found a place to stand among the crowd.

"This must be the ceremony Reid was talking about," Edward whispered to Envy, just as the man on the stage stepped forward and addressed the crowd:

"My brethren! The great day has finally come where we may learn the secrets of the homunculi! We have acquired the means to create them anew!"

"What?" Edward gasped under his breath. Envy stared with wide eyes up at the front of the chamber. He seemed to be hanging on the priests every word. Loud cheers spread among the crowd. Some people were crying tears of joy.

"We ask that you are patient as we begin the process," the priest said, "and pray we succeed. I have this to get us started!"

He held up a small vial of crimson liquid, and Edward felt his heart jump into his throat. _An incomplete philosopher stone!?_ Edward grabbed Envy's arm and pulled him closer so that he could whisper in his ear. "He's going to use these people as test subjects to create a new homunculus! We have to stop it!"

Envy's eyes narrowed. "These people want to sacrifice themselves, it's not my problem. There's no chance they'll actually succeed."

Edward gaped at him. He felt his blood run cold. "How can you say that after all this time?"

They were jostled slightly by the crowd cheering and reeling with joy. Envy scowled at Edward. "Look around you, Fullmetal. These people are delusional. None of them has what it takes."

"So you'll just stand aside and let this nut job murder them?" Edward hissed.

"My first priority is finding my children, remember?" Envy snapped. "Every last one of these people can die before I do that – I don't give a shit."

Edward stared at him in disbelieve. All this time and Envy hadn't changed a bit. He felt stupid for having thought otherwise. Envy scowled at him and turned back to the front, and Edward watched his eyes grow wide with fear.

"…and her blood is shared between human and homunculi, even having some characteristics of her father," the priest was saying. Edward's eyes landed on River, who was strapped to a stretcher behind him. Tear streamed down her face. She stared at the crowd, screaming for them to stop. The priest continued, "She is the perfect candidate for the stone."

Envy shot through the crowd, pushing people out of the way, practically throwing them, and Edward ran after him. He was shoved a few times as people shouted angrily at Envy's pursuit to the front.

People were screaming with joy, cheering, "All hail the homunculus!"

A group of people were shoved sideways into Edward as he ran to reach Envy, and he fell over into the crowd. He could feel bodies around him, squeezing him closer. He struggled to his feet, but could no longer see where Envy had gone or hear his cursing for all the applause and screaming.

At the front of the chamber, the priest turned to River and opened the small vial above the wound on her arm.

The crowd fell silent.

Edward felt himself hold his breath. The heavy anticipation in this moment was suffocating. He could hear Envy screaming to the front somewhere ahead of him, "River! You humans get the fuck out of my way! If you drop that stone on her, I'll tear your spine out of your back!"

"Dad!?" River cried back over the silence. She struggled against her restraints helplessly. "Dad! Help me…"

The priest grinned widely from the stage and into the crowd where Edward assumed Envy was, nearly half-way across the chamber to him. "I'm glad you could join us, Envy the Bizarre! We've been waiting for you to arrive. Consider this a gift from Lair 7 to you."

The priest turned to River and tipped the vial over her wound. The crimson droplet captured the torchlight, its red deep as freshly spilt blood. It entered River's wound. Envy's threats fell silent. Edward widened his eyes. Every person in the room held their breath and waited for the stone to take hold.


End file.
